The invention relates to an apparatus for continuously inverting sheaths and placing the sheaths onto articles. More particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus for continuously inverting sheaths including vertically and upwardly oriented open ends and placing the inverted sheaths onto vertically and upwardly oriented hypodermic needles of syringe sub-assemblies.
A syringe comprises a syringe vial, a hypodermic needle connected to one end thereof and a syringe piston, which were, in the past, sterilized after each usage. However, syringes which are frequently used in the hospital and the like are sterilized and are fully assembled in the factory for the purpose of labor-saving at the time of usage.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,210, there is disclosed a method and apparatus for applying a sheath to a hypodermic needle secured in a vial, wherein after the interior of the vials and needles are cleaned, the sheaths are successively placed onto the needles. The sheaths are supported in a hopper in a direction that open ends of the sheaths are pointed downwardly and are successively transported to tubular members of jaw levers, below which the vials are positioned. When the jaw levers are lowered, the sheath is placed on the needle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,756 discloses an apparatus for holding hypodermic needles straight and placing sheaths thereonto, in which the needles are held below and in the center of a vertical path, and the sheaths, open ends of which are pointed downwardly, are supplied to the needles through the path, whereby the sheaths are securely placed onto the needles.
The apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,756 is good for placing the sheaths onto the needles of syringe sub-assemblies, but in practice it is necessary to successively provide the sheaths to the path with the open ends thereof pointed downwardly. The same problems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,210.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for continuously inverting sheaths and surely placing the sheaths onto articles.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.